Laterally extendible sliding shelf



Judy 22 E952 E. G. RUDMAN LATERALLY EXTENDIBLE SLIDING .SHELF Filed oct. so, 195o I' T2 l J' 2f INVENTOR. Ida/ard fladnavz ATTORNEY FJTLII Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT AOFFICE LATER-ALLY EXTENDIBLE SLIDING SHELF Edward G. Rudman, Nashua, N. H. Application October 3), 1950, Serial No. 192,924

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to a sliding and extend ible shelffor furniture; and the object of the invention is to provide a shelf for furniture which may be drawn forwardly from the article of furniture of which it forms a part, and then extended laterally to `augment the supporting surface thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shelf, as mentioned, which may be extended laterally in either direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide, inv a device as mentioned, means for preventing sagging of the main shelf when extended.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for supporting the laterally extended por tion of the shelf when in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With the above-stated objects in view, the invention consists generally in a drawer adapted to be `extended or withdrawn forwardly from the article of furniture of which it forms a part, the upper portion of said drawer forming a shelf, a laterally extendible slide arranged under said shelf, an extendible support for said slide ar ranged beneath the same, and means actuated by the lateral movement of said slide for moving said support a limited distance under the same.

The invention further consists in various details of construction and combination of parts,

as will be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the device, illustrated as extended forwardly from an article of furniture, and indicating, in dotted lines, the slide and the support for the same extended tothe right;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. l; l

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the slide; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the slide support.

The invention forming the subject matter of this invention is particularly adapted for use in night tables, or the like, and is so illustrated and described herein. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to such 5 use but may be used with, or constitute a part of, cabinets of various types.

Referring to the drawings, II) (Fig. 3) indicates the top of a night table or the like; II front vertical frame members, which may constitute the front corner posts; and I2 the top frame front rail.

Slide rails for the device are indicated at I3, and a front rail I4 is in a plane therewith. These elements are conventionally indicated as they (c1. sic- 391) may vary according to the type and construction ofthe article of furniture with which the invention is used.

The drawer I5 in which the slide and slide support are housed, comprises a bottom member I6, a top or main shelf I' I, and a front I 8 rigidly connecting the same at their forward edges. The bottom I6 is of ample length to extend into the cabinet a sufficient distance to support the device when the drawer is withdrawn to its full extent, and thedepth of the shelf I'I is such as to terminate substantially flush with the front of the rail I2 at such time.

Sideelements I9 are fixed to the bottom I6 and extend rearwardly from the back edge of the shelf Il and are adapted to support the rear edge of said shelf. Stop blocks 20 are fixed to the side elements I9 and extend above the plane of the lower edge of the top front rail l2 so as to engage the same when the drawer is drawn forwardly. Preferably, the top ends of the stop blocks are beveled as indicated at 2|, and a correspondingly beveled chock 22 is fixed back of the rail 2I to be engaged by said beveled end to prevent any sag of the drawer when withdrawn to the limit. The top shelf Il of the drawer, and preferably the front I8, are of somewhat greater width than the bottom i6, and stop members 23 are arranged below the level cf the under face of the shelf against which the ends of the drawer front i8 abut when the drawer is closed.

Within the drawer above described, is arranged the laterally entendible slide 25 and a support 26 for 'the same when extended. The slide 25 is substantially the same width as the shelf I7, whereas the supportV 25 is preferably the same width as the bottom i6 of the drawer; and the projecting ends of the slide are provided in theirY under faces withY nger grip grooves 2l. See Fig. 2.

, The support 26 comprises generally a rectangular frame consisting of front and back members 23 and 29, respectively, and end members 30; and the slide 25 rests upon the upper edges of said framel members. Arranged forwardly of the member 2S is a longitudinally extending rail 3I, and extending between the rail 3| and the front member 28 are a pair of parallel transverse rails 32 which are spaced apart providing a guide-way 33 `between them'for a purpose hereinafter described.

The rails 3l and 32 are of less height than the frame members 28, 29 and 38, so that the plane of their upper faces is spaced below the under face of the slide 25.

An actuating arm 35 is arranged between the rails 3| and 32 and said slide 25, and is provided at one end with a depending cylindrical hub 38 fitting between the member 29 of the support frame and the rail 3I. The hub 36 terminates in a depending pivot pin 31 seated in a socket 38 in the bottom I6 of the drawer. The opposite end of the arm 35 is provided with a depending lug 39 which extendsinto the guide-way 33; and also with an upwardly extending lug 40 which projects into a cam groove 4| located on the under face of the slide 25. The lugs 39 and 4,0 may be formed of a single pin extending through the end portion of the arm 35.

The groove 4I is preferably cut into the under face of the slide and comprises opposite angularly inclined portions 42 diverging rearwardlyfrom'a position longitudinally centrally of the slide, and lateral extensions 43 which are in alignment with each other and parallel with the lateral movement of the extension. The lug t39 -rests inthe groove 4I at the apex 44 thereof whenthe device is in normal non-extended position, asshown in dotted lines Yin Fig. 1.

The operation -of the device is as follows. When the laterally extendable slide l25l and .Support 26 are telescoped within the drawer I5, ias illustrated `in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, `the entire device may be moved into vthe 'table or cabinet. When it is desired to use the Sama-the drawer ris pulled forwardly until limited ,by the stops 20. Then the slide may be extended either to the right or left of the drawer; `but in Figs. l and A2, it is indicated in dotted lines as extended to the right.

To extend the slide, the finger grip grooves are engaged and the slide pulled in the desireddirection. As the slide-25 moves laterally, the flug 40 rides along ithe left hand angular Y,portion A42 of the groove, thereby swirnging 'the arm 35 to .the right. This causes thelug39, riding in the guide- Way 33, 'to push the support ,2 6 laterally iat -a slower speed than that .of the ,'slide, until the lug 4U :reaches the end of -the Vinclined portion of the groove, when 'further movement of the support is arrested. `With further movement'of the slide 25, the lug 39 rides along the portion 43 of the groove until the end of Isaid groove-portion engages the pin 39, thereby stopping `further longitudinal movement of the slide. When the slide is retracted, the pins 40 and 39 reverse its movement in the slot 4l and guide-way 33, respectively, thereby retracting the support 26. It should be noted that the longitudinally extending space `46, between the bar -29 and rail 3| of the support, accommodates the hub 360i the arm 35 as the suppport -26 is moved. The slide 25 `is prevented from tipping, when extended, by vthe arm 35 lwhich rests -upon the upper faces of the rails 29 and 32, and under the slide 25.

I claim:

1. In an article of furniture, `a drawer comprising a bottom and a ton, the Alatter constituting `a shelf when the drawer is extended, a laterally extendable slide, and a supporting element therefor slidably mounted 'between .said drawer bottom and top, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said drawer, a transverse guide-way in said supporting element, a lug on the opposite end of said arm and slidable in said guide-way, and cooperating means in said arm and said slide for swinging said arm to cause said supporting element to be moved outward `laterally as said slide is extended.

2. In an article of furniture, ,a drawer comprising parallel top and bottom elements and a front connecting the same, means for limiting the outward movement of said drawer, a slide and lli) a slide support slidably mounted between the top and bottom elements of said drawer and adapted to be extended in either direction therefrom, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said drawer and positioned between said slide and said slide support, the opposite end of said arm having a downwardly extending lug, a transverse guideway in said support for said lug, an upwardly extending lug on said arm, and a cam groove in the under face of said slide to receive the last said lug and adapted to swing said arm to cause said supporting element to be moved outward laterally as the slide is extended from said drawer.

3. In an article of furniture, a drawer comprising a bottom, a `top and a front connecting the same, a slide and slide support mounted between said bottom and top and adapted Vtp be extended laterally therefrom, said support comprising a rectangular 'frame-fitting between -said slide and the'bottom of said drawer and consisting of front and rear elements and end elements connecting the same, a longitudinal rail spaced from the rear element, and parallel transverse rails extending between ysaid longitudinal bar and said front element, said transverse rails being spaced apart forming a guide-way between them, .the upper faces of said longitudinal and transverserai'ls being arranged below the plane of the upper edges of said frame, an arm having a depending hub arranged between the rear element of the support and said 'longitudinal rail thereofVand pivotally connected tothe `bottom of the drawer, a downwardly extending lug on vsaid arm projecting into said guide-way between said transverse rails, an upwardly extending lug on said arm remote from the pivoted end, and a cam on the 'bottom of said slide to receive the last said lug and adapted to swing said arm to move said support outward laterally .as the yslide is extended laterally.

4. In an article of furniture, a drawer comprising a bottom, a top parallel thereto and a front connecting the same, a front transverse rail above said drawer, stop members on said drawer adapted to engage `behind said transverse rail, means adjacent said rail cooperating with said stop members to level said drawer when fully extended, a laterally extendable slide, and a supporting element slidably mounted between the drawer bottom and top, an varm pivotally connected at one end'to said drawer, a transverse guide-'way on said supporting element, a lug on the opposite end of said arm and slidable in said guide-way, and cooperating means on said arm, and said slide for swinging said arm to cause said supporting element -to be moved outward laterally as said slide is extended.

EDWARD Gr. RUDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ,of this patent:

Number Name ADate 630,739 Pooley Aug. 8, 1899 vr191,112 Rothwell May 30, 1905 1,108,082 Pennock Aug. 18, 1914 1,369,195 Schimmel Feb. 22, 1921 1,831,867 Jonke Nov. 17, 193,1 2,066,303 Schulz Dec. 29, 193,6 

